WEBVTT THISDURING THE SEVEN-DAY FORECASTCOMING UP.PAIGE: BACK TO THE BREAKING NEWSFROM YELL COUNTY, OUR CREWS ARELIVE TONIGHT BRINGING US WHAT'SHAPPENING WITH THE LATEST.BUT BEGIN WITH BRETT RAINS.BRETT: THE ARE LIVE INSIDE THEDIED NOW -- THE DARDANELLEPOLICE STATION.JUST MOMENTS AGO, STATE POLICEAND THE YELL COUNTY SHERIFF HAVEDATEDS ABOUT THE CASE.TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO.POLICE SAY THIS MORNING, THELIEUTENANT STOPPED A CAR THATMATCHED A DESCRIPTION GIVEN IN ADISTURBANCE CALL.THE LIEUTENANT WAS FATALLY SHOT.HE WAS PRONOUND DEAD AT THEDARDANELLE HOSPITAL.WE KNOW THAT TWO MEN -- TWOWOMEN WERE FOUND DEAD OUTSIDETHAT HOME THAT HE WAS ORIGINALLYBEING CALLED TO.POLICE WOULD NOT SAY IF THELIEUTENANT NEW IF YOU WASDEALING WITH EIGHT -- WITH ANARMED AND DANGEROUS MAN.THE MAN WAS A LEADER IN THECOMMUNITY, AND AN EXTRAORDINARYEXAMPLE OF WHAT A POLICE OFFICERSHOULDE.>> HE WAS ALSO A GREAT FATHER,HUSBAND, AS WELL AS A GREATFRIEND TO ALL OF US IN LAWENFORCEMENT.WORDS WILL DEFINITELY NOTDESCRIBE GREATLY ENOUGH THEEFFECT THAT KEVIN HAD ON YELLCOUNTY AND OUR SURROUNDINGCOMMUNITIES SINCE HE HAS BEENHERE.BRETT: POLICE ARE NOT RELEASINGTHE IDENTITIES OF THE TWO WOMENWHO WERE FOUND DEAD OUTSIDE THISSAME HOME THAT THE SUSPECT WASHELD UP INSIDE OF WITH ANOTHERWOMEN HOSPITAL -- WITH ANOTHERWOMAN HOSTAGE.HE IS CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTSOF CAPITAL MURDER.CRAIG: HERE IS A MAP SHOWING YOUHOW CLOSE THAT TRAFFIC STOP ANDTHE SCENE OF THE STANDOFF ARE.LET'S HEAD TO 40/29'S AJ MCCORD,WHO IS LIVE IN DARDANELLE NEAR THE HOME WHERE POLICE TOOK THESUSPECT INTO CUSTODY JUST HOURSAGO. AJ, WHAT IS THE SCENE LIKETHERE NOW?AJ: WE'RE ON GUM SPRINGS ROADJUST WEST OF DARDANELLE,HEPOLICE TOOK THE SUSPECT INTOCUSTODY AFTER THE SHOOTINGS THATKILLED THREE.OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER, A COUPLEHUNDRED YARDS DOWN THIS ROAD,THIS IS GUM SPRINGS ROAD, THISIS THE PROPERTY WHERE POLICE SAYTHEY NEGOTIATED WITH BOWDENFOLLOWING THE SHOOTINGS THISMORNING.POLICE SAY HE RELEASED A WOMANMOMENTS BEFORE SURRENDERING TOPOLICE.MOST OF THE OFFICIALS HAVE LEFTTHE AREA.THEY HAVE REOPENED -- REOPENEDTHE ROAD, BUT THIS REMAINS ANACTIVE SEEN AS A PROCESSED THEHOUSE AND PROPERTY.CRAIG: THE SUSPECT IN THE YELLCOUNTY TRIPLE HOMICIDE, JAMESMICHAEL BOWDEN, IS IN POLICE CUSTODY. HE'LL BE IN CONWAY COUNTYSHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT JAIL, AFTERHE WAS CHECKED OUT BY MEDICAL STAFFTHE LIEUTENANT AND THE TWO WOMENARE DEAD TONIGHT.STATE POLICE ARE SPEAKING WITHTHE PERSON WHO WAS INSIDE THAT

A suspect in the deaths of a sheriff's deputy and two women in western Arkansas' Yell County was in custody Thursday afternoon after a standoff with authorities, state police said.

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Lt. Kevin C. Mainhart, 46, was fatally shot Thursday morning when he pulled over the suspect in a traffic stop, officials said.

The women were found dead outside a rural home nearby, Arkansas State Police said. The suspect, James Michael Bowden, 32, took shelter in the home, about 5 miles southwest of the small city of Dardanelle after the deputy was shot, police said.

Sadler said Bowden released a female hostage before he surrendered about five hours after the standoff began. Bowden was taken into custody about 2:40 p.m. local time, police spokesman Bill Sadler said.

Bowden faces three counts of capital murder, said Col. Bill Bryant, head of Arkansas State Police.

Authorities said Mainhart was on his way to check a disturbance call on rural Gum Springs Road when he identified a vehicle believed to be associated with the incident.

Mainhart was fatally shot on State Highway 27 near Slo Fork Road, Sadler said. He died at a local hospital.

When other officers arrived at the Gum Springs Road home, they saw the two bodies outside, Sadler said. It wasn't immediately clear how the two victims died. They were not immediately identified. Their possible connection to Bowden was not immediately known.

Suspect's sister talks about his mental state

Bowden's sister told CNN affiliate KARK in Little Rock that her brother "didn't want to come out. He thought that he would be shot."

"Jamie has been mentally ill for a little while now. He has been in and out of the mental hospital. We didn't expect anything of this caliber to happen," Julie Bowden Inmon told the station.

She added: "We're very sorry for what happened ... My brother actually told me on the phone that he wished things hadn't happened this way."

'Our hearts are saddened'

Mainhart was a five-year member of the Yell County Sheriff's Department, authorities said. He had previously retired from the West Memphis Police Department after a more than 20-year career.

Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey said Mainhart was respected among his colleagues and was a leader.

"He was an extraordinary example of what a law enforcement officer should be," Gilkey said. "He had a great work ethic. He was fair-minded."

Gilkey added: "He was also a great father and a husband, as well as a great friend to all of us in law enforcement and the community."

The fatal shooting "highlights the dangers that are facing law enforcement officers across this country, " Sadler said. "This deputy checked in for duty this morning not even realizing that this would be his last call."

On Thursday evening in Dardanelle, about a dozen people gathered along the Arkansas River, joined hands in a circle and prayed in remembrance of the victims.